As residents, crews and emergency responders continue to dig out in the wake of a 100-year flood, state and local officials today said they know the road to recovery for Boulder County and the rest of Colorado will be a long one.

But, they said, residents will find a way to band together and pull through.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, Colorado Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and members of the state's congressional delegation on Saturday afternoon took a helicopter tour across flood-ravaged Boulder County and parts of Jefferson and Larimer Counties.

As a testament to the destruction and, in some places, still very dangerous situation in the state, the two National Guard helicopters the dignitaries were aboard stopped twice to rescue stranded people during the tour, officials said. They eventually picked up six people a dog and a cat, dropping them off at an airport in Larimer County before returning to Boulder Municipal Airport.

Hickenlooper estimated the group saw 55 sections of roads and highways that were either partially or totally destroyed by flood waters. In some places there was little evidence a road had been there at all, with everything down to the road base washed away. Despite the monumental effort that will be required for Colorado and Boulder County to recover from the calamity, Hickenlooper voiced optimism that the state would bounce back.

"I think the thing that we're all agreed to is that we're gonna come back and we are going to rebuild better than it was before," he said. "And as a community we're gonna come out stronger after the storm than we were before."

The other leaders who accompanied Hickenlooper on his tour across the area also spoke of the resolve of Colorado residents.

"This event has stunned all of us and what we truly saw was devastating but we're not devastated. Just like the people of Colorado, we are energized by the spirit with which we have responded and we will continue to respond," Udall said.

Udall, who lives in Eldorado Springs, said the flood damage in his neighborhood was terrible, but noted that many areas across the Front Range suffered such destruction. He said he has been impressed by the selfless efforts of local law enforcement, fire crews and rescue agencies, the Colorado National Guard, and average residents, who have done all they can to help their neighbors.

"We're hanging together. We're helping our neighbors. We're moving debris. We're cooking meals for each other," he said. "As the governor said, as (Rep.) Ed (Perlmutter) said, as (Rep.) Cory (Gardner) said, we're all in this together, and it's special place, Colorado. That's why I'm so proud to represent Colorado in the Senate, but even more than that, I'm just honored to be a Coloradoan."

Those sentiments echoed the determination voiced by local politicians earlier Saturday.

"We are resilient," Boulder County Commissioner Cindy Domenico said this morning. "We proved it after Fourmile (Fire), we'll prove it again after this."

While rains have subsided for now, 200 people remain unaccounted for and at least three people are dead in the county. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said it is too early to speculate what those numbers may look like once officials begin to get a better idea of the damage in the county.

"We don't know what we don't know, and anything else would be a wild guess," Pelle said. "We are in this for the long haul."

But through all the uncertainty, Domenico said she and fellow county commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones were at Boulder Municipal Airport Thursday night watching airlifted evacuees reunite with loved ones and said the scene was uplifting.

"It was absolutely incredible," she said. "It's exactly what this community is all about, pulling together to make sure everyone is safe."

Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum said the city has always tried to prepare for a flood, but most of that planning was for flash floods at single water sources, not the type of sustained flooding the city has seen over the past few days across all of the major waterways.

"On a map, the flood zones are these neat little lines," he said. "When you get out there and see rivers running through streets, it's quite different, and it's quite astonishing to see that in Boulder."

But Appelbaum said the preparation the city did helped to ensure the damage was not worse.

"In many places, that planning paid off," Appelbaum said.

While the damage has been extensive and the recovery has only just begun, Appelbaum said he had no doubt the city would make a full recovery.

"We will have a great city again in the not so distant future," Appelbaum said.

Michael Birdsong works to build a dam in front of his home on Iris Street on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Boulder. Birdsong is preparing for more flooding from more rain in the forecast.
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JEREMY PAPASSO
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